1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fitting for a door, window or the like, comprising locking means provided with at least an operating rod allowing to operate means for locking the leaf in rotation, in various angular positions, with respect to the sash-frame. These means include of at least a clamping organ and a complementary member, one of which is made integral with an extension of the operating rod and the other one with the sash-frame.
2. Discussion of the Background Material
Generally, fittings for doors, windows or the like comprise hinging
means ensuring the pivoting connection of the leaf to the sash-frame, at the level of their rear stiles. These fittings are furthermore provided with locking means one function of which is to keep the leaf closed against the sash-frame or, on the other hand, to allow the opening of the door, window or the like. In some cases, these locking means are also intended to allow the selection of the way of opening of the leaf, for example, in the French way of hinging.
Thus, said locking means are usually comprised of an operating mechanism onto which acts the user by means of either an operating knob or a key member with a view to actuating a locking member or even one or several operating rods simultaneously acting onto several locking members. In this latter case, the operating rods are frequently arranged in a groove provided for in the periphery of the leaf. As regards the locking members, these are brought to cooperate with keepers accordingly arranged onto the sash-frame.
The selection of the way of opening of the door, window or the like is frequently obtained by means of the operating rods. These latter then act onto the hinging means and, more particularly, onto the folding-arm bearing ensuring the upper connection between the sash-frame and the leaf and eventually allowing the pivoting of same about a horizontal axis.
Thus, one understands that such fittings allow an easy operation of the door, window or the like; it should however be appreciated that although it is easy to lock the leaf against the sash-frame, the user experiences some trouble in ensuring the maintaining in open position of the door or window. A slightest draught can indeed close same or confer to the leaf a certain banging and, in such circumstances, the noise caused by the clash against the sash-frame may prove particularly awkward.
In order to cope with these troubles, it has been foreseen to provide the fittings described above with leaf-stop means which are, for example, in the form of a folding-arm connected to the sash-frame and the leaf, which allow the immobilization of the latter in rotation with respect to the former, in various angular positions.
Of course, although such means allow to cope with the aforementioned troubles, they do however require an additional operation by the user who, at the end, will be strongly inclined to use same only occasionally, when by these leaf-stop means are only of little interest.
There is also known a fitting for a door, window or the like, comprising locking means comprised of an operating mechanism located on the front stile of the window and operating rods extending on both sides of this operating mechanism.
As a matter of fact, this fitting is also provided with means intended for ensuring the locking in rotation of the window in various angular positions.
These means are comprised, more particularly, of a casing inserted onto the sash-frame and, more specifically, near the rotation axis of the window. Inside this casing vertically slide, at the level of its lower face, a series of embosses intended for co-operating with a screw passing through the casing, so as to lock the window in rotation.
It should be noted that said clamping organ is made integral with an operating rod vertically extending above the aforementioned casing and comprising its upper part made integral, by means of an adequate connection, with the rear end of a pivoting lever. More particularly, the pivoting lever is pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis and by means of a strap onto the upper stile of the window or the like. Its front end is, furthermore, made integral with the upper end of the operating rod extending above the operating mechanism. Thus, under the action of same, when controlling the opening, the operating rod is lowered, which causes to confer an ascending motion to the operating rod corresponding to the means for locking in rotation. The clamping element, in the form of a disc provided with embosses, is then lifted in its casing and, finally, released from the screw passing through this latter. Furthermore, one should appreciate the presence of springy pull-off means which get interposed between the upper side Plate of the casing and the clamping element in order to push back same in the direction of the screw. As a matter of fact, such springy pull-off means tend to facilitate the operation consisting, through the operating mechanism, in locking in rotation the window or the like. In fact, although such means for locking the leaf in rotation with respect to the sash-frame offer the advantage of an easy and simple operation through the locking means for the door or window, they do notwithstanding have a number of disadvantages.
Namely, when these means for locking in rotation are brought into active position, it is, of course, no longer possible to close the leaf without previously actuating the locking means. Now, if one inadvertently tries to close the door or window in such circumstances, this unavoidably leads to the deterioration of the fitting.
On the other side, it should be appreciated that in case the locking means are actuated while the recesses defined by the embosses the disc forming the clamping element is comprised of are not in front of the screw passing through the casing in which slides this clamping element, the action onto the locking means cannot be complete and, above all, the expected result will not be achieved. Therefore, and due to the leaving of the person having actuated the door or the window, this latter will keep on banging just as before. In such case, the solution of course consists in looking for the angular position of the leaf which can be locked in rotation by the means described above. As a matter of fact, one turns back to the situation set forth above in relation to the known leaf-stop means, i.e. the user will be inclined to use the clamping means only occasionally.
Thus, the object of this invention is to cope with all the above-mentioned problems. The present invention solves the problem by in providing a fitting for a door, window or the like, comprising locking means provided with at least one operating rod allowing to actuate means for locking the leaf in rotation, in various angular positions, with respect to the sash-frame, these means being comprised of at least a clamping element and an additional member one of which is made integral with an extension of the operating rod and the other one with the sash-frame;
Furthermore:
a) the clamping element and the additional member are located on the rotation axis of the leaf, each comprising slits intended for cooperating with each other in case of locking in rotation of the leaf controlled by the locking means;
b) the clamping element comprises connecting means capable of making same integral with either the sash-frame or the extension of the operating rod and allowing to same a stroke, on the rotation axis of the leaf and with respect to the sash-frame or the extension of the operating rod, of a length at least equal to the height of its slits, this clamping element being also subjected to springy pull-off means intended for pushing same back in the direction of the additional member;
c) the additional member comprises connecting means intended for making same integral with either the sash-frame or the extension of the operating rod and having means allowing the pivoting of the additional member about the rotation axis of the leaf and braking means allowing this pivoting only upon application of a varying intensity driving torque.
As a matter of fact, thanks to the peculiar features of these clamping means, same have a very convincing interest, compared to the leaf-stop means designed hitherto, in that the user will not be adverse to using them as often as possible.
Furthermore, through this invention, these clamping means are particularly safe and reliable. Even in case the clamping element would not be capable of co-operating with the additional member by means of their respective slits, the actuation onto the locking means can indeed occur to a full extent. Then, a slightest angular movement of the leaf caused, for example, by a draught will be enough for said clamping element and, namely, its slits, to be finally pushed back, by springy pull-off means, into those of the additional member and to achieve the desired immobility of the leaf.